Now comes the hard part.
The Indians this week will try to do something that was nearly impossible for them to do last year — beat the Detroit Tigers.
The Indians’ record last year against the Tigers was 4-15, and they were outscored by 50 runs in those games: 120-70.
Had the Indians merely gone 6-13 against Detroit, they would have won the Central Division, instead of finishing a game behind Detroit.
The Indians open a three-game series in Detroit on April 15. Zach McAllister, Danny Salazar and Justin Masterson will start those three games for the Indians. The Tigers have not yet announced their starting pitchers.
Last year’s season series between the two teams was as statistically lopsided as the won- loss records. In the 19 games between the two teams, Indians pitchers had a 5.89 ERA and Tigers pitchers had a 3.20 ERA.
Indians hitters batted just .223 with a .286 on-base percentage and .361 slugging percentage.
Tigers hitters batted .301 with a .375 on-base percentage and .477 slugging percentage.
Lost in the domination that the Tigers held over the Indians last season is that the Indians actually had a better record against all their other opponents than did the Tigers — and it wasn’t even close.
Against all other opponents besides Detroit, the Indians were 88-55 (.615). Against all other opponents besides Cleveland, the Tigers were 78-65 (.545). Swing batter!
Since the start of the 2013 season, only two major-league pitchers have thrown at least 100 pitches in a game without recording a single swing-and-miss strike — and one of them is a former Indian.
Former Tribe first-round pick Jeremy Guthrie, now with Kansas City, did it on June 15, 2013, against Tampa Bay. On April 6 this year, Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo did it against the Red Sox.The rain game
Remember that rainout the Indians had in Oakland in what was supposed to be their second game of the season? That was one of two rainouts the A’s had in their season-opening homestand.
Since the Dodgers and Giants moved from Brooklyn and New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively in 1958, California teams have had a combined total of just 100 rainout/postponments.
The Giants lead with 32, followed by the A’s (20), Dodgers (17), Padres (16), and Angels (15).Three peats
Former Indian Jim Thome is one of just four players to have hit at least 100 home runs for three different teams, but Texas’ Adrian Beltre needs just two more homers to join the group.
Thome hit 337 for the Indians, which still stands as the franchise record, 134 for the White Sox and 101 for the Phillies. The other three players who have hit 100 for three different teams are Darrell Evans (Braves, Giants, Tigers), Reggie Jackson (A’s, Yankees, and Angels), and Alex Rodriguez (Mariners, Rangers and Yankees).The Grady watch
It’s so far so good for Grady Sizemore in Boston. The former Indians outfielder, who hasn’t played a full major-league season since 2008, is leading the Red Sox in hitting (.333), slugging percentage (.600) and OPS (on base plus slugging) at .994. Sizemore is also tied for the team lead with two home runs, and he has one of the team’s two stolen bases.
On April 11, Sizemore hit a three-run homer off former teammate CC Sabathia in a 4-2 Boston win at Yankee Stadium.
Sizemore started the season playing center field but has been switched to left field, with Jackie Bradley Jr. playing center.So far so bad
Ubaldo Jimenez gave up more runs in his first two starts for the Orioles this year than he gave up in September last year for the Indians.
In his first two starts for Baltimore, Jimenez is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA. In six starts for the Tribe in September last year, Jimenez was 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA.
Jimenez has given up eight runs in his two starts for Baltimore. Last year for the Indians, he gave up only five runs in six September starts. Worse yet for the Orioles, Jimenez is back to being a five-inning pitcher. In his two starts thus far, he has pitched only 10 2/3 innings. In his six starts for the Indians last September, he averaged almost seven innings per start.